cabledsweater's review against another edition
3.0
Pure entertainment with a side of bro science and a lot of dirty jokes. Penn reinvents the wheel and end up with a lightly edited version of Michael Pollen's famous eating advice (Eat food. Not too often. Mostly plants.)
xeni's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, what a fun book to read. I didn't know much about Penn Jillette before I started this, and I can firmly say I know far too much now. And yet, it was a wild and whacky journey that I really enjoyed reading about.
I am really happy that he still had this great learning moment so late in his life. It gives me a deeper feeling of how life is still worth living, no matter what age is on the clock. Not to mention, his book so eloquently shows how turning over a new health leaf is never too late, even if you're almost 60 and have a prognosis of only a few years left to live.
In a way I wish that Penn wasn't quite so forthcoming with his opinions on politics and other more sensitive topics, as I would love to recommend this book to certain family members and friends, but I know they would throw out the baby with the bathwater after being confronted with certain ideas. Well, perhaps one day they would also be more open. I will keep my own mind open, and keep talking to them regardless. We can all be healthier and happier, but it doesn't mean there's one route for everyone.
That all said, I do recommend this book to everyone. It's a fun read, and I certainly felt myself drawn into his crazy life. Not to mention, I think there's something you can find on common ground with Penn, even if other ideas throw you off. For example, we both really dislike pears. Fuck pears. As Penn puts it: "I went to the fruit tray and grabbed a pear. It was sweet and juicy with a pleasing texture. This is how they fuck you: with this pear in my mind, I’m supposed to say, “I love pears, I’m going to eat them all the time,” and then with pleasant anticipation grab my next pear—and it’s sour or dry or mealy or rotten, and all the pears laugh at me. Fuckers." I have to totally agree.
I am really happy that he still had this great learning moment so late in his life. It gives me a deeper feeling of how life is still worth living, no matter what age is on the clock. Not to mention, his book so eloquently shows how turning over a new health leaf is never too late, even if you're almost 60 and have a prognosis of only a few years left to live.
In a way I wish that Penn wasn't quite so forthcoming with his opinions on politics and other more sensitive topics, as I would love to recommend this book to certain family members and friends, but I know they would throw out the baby with the bathwater after being confronted with certain ideas. Well, perhaps one day they would also be more open. I will keep my own mind open, and keep talking to them regardless. We can all be healthier and happier, but it doesn't mean there's one route for everyone.
That all said, I do recommend this book to everyone. It's a fun read, and I certainly felt myself drawn into his crazy life. Not to mention, I think there's something you can find on common ground with Penn, even if other ideas throw you off. For example, we both really dislike pears. Fuck pears. As Penn puts it: "I went to the fruit tray and grabbed a pear. It was sweet and juicy with a pleasing texture. This is how they fuck you: with this pear in my mind, I’m supposed to say, “I love pears, I’m going to eat them all the time,” and then with pleasant anticipation grab my next pear—and it’s sour or dry or mealy or rotten, and all the pears laugh at me. Fuckers." I have to totally agree.
cdcole's review against another edition
3.0
5 stars for the stories, 1 star for the actual dieting advice.
eralon's review
2.0
Some interesting and valuable parts but also very repetitive, disorganized, and full of needless vulgar and sexual language. For example, must be repeated thousands of time in this text.
Spoiler
"fat fuck"emp1234's review against another edition
2.0
If you pick this up as a diet guide, you'll be disappointed (I think), but if you pick it up because you're a Jillette fan, you'll probably enjoy his stories.
bigedbarnham's review against another edition
4.0
I found this book quite a delight, but, I have to admit, I've always been a fan of Penn.
There are a few things that I found particularly helpful: how to handle being around food and drink after theatre performances (when everyone else wants to consume everything in sight), not eating like a hog just because somebody else is picking up the tab, and finding the power to just say no to people trying to get you off plan (mostly because it's easier for them when you are off plan).
Penn calls bullshit on some of his own thinking prior to going on his weight loss venture, and calls bullshit on "calling bullshit" on things just because the science isn't complete or the studies aren't overwhelmingly conclusive or the scientific work is in its early stages. Finding what works for you that helps you maintain your health is the key goal.
I recommend this book for anyone wanting to try something different while simultaneously reading another person's experience with that different thing.
Disclosures
1. I did the Potato Hack for two weeks after reading this book.
2. I followed Furhman's nutritarian approach for three months after the potato hack.
3. I hate the word nutritarian.
4. I lost 31 pounds over the course of a few months.
5. I swing between potato hack and nutritarian and eating like a monster currently.
6. I've maintained that 30 pound loss over six months.
There are a few things that I found particularly helpful: how to handle being around food and drink after theatre performances (when everyone else wants to consume everything in sight), not eating like a hog just because somebody else is picking up the tab, and finding the power to just say no to people trying to get you off plan (mostly because it's easier for them when you are off plan).
Penn calls bullshit on some of his own thinking prior to going on his weight loss venture, and calls bullshit on "calling bullshit" on things just because the science isn't complete or the studies aren't overwhelmingly conclusive or the scientific work is in its early stages. Finding what works for you that helps you maintain your health is the key goal.
I recommend this book for anyone wanting to try something different while simultaneously reading another person's experience with that different thing.
Disclosures
1. I did the Potato Hack for two weeks after reading this book.
2. I followed Furhman's nutritarian approach for three months after the potato hack.
3. I hate the word nutritarian.
4. I lost 31 pounds over the course of a few months.
5. I swing between potato hack and nutritarian and eating like a monster currently.
6. I've maintained that 30 pound loss over six months.
jbojkov's review against another edition
2.0
DNF. I checked this out more b/c I was waiting on another more straight-forward book on intermittent fasting, not because I was that interested in Jillette’s yarn spinning. I’m sure there are plenty of readers out there who would appreciate his style- I’m just not one of them. The cursing and cutesy nicknames were a bit much for me and grew old fast. I’m glad that he was able to lose the weight- and more importantly, keep it off. I wish him well.
nathancashion's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a must-listen: if you're going to read it, you should hear it from the horse's (or 1/3 of a cow dressed as an elephant) own mouth by listening to the audiobook. Penn does such an incredible job of reading his own writing.
As someone always interested in nutrition but with a personal bias towards eating all whole foods (not just plants), this book was a great way to challenge what I think I know about healthy eating.
What I appreciated most was Penn's transparency when discussing concepts that aren't supported by science (most of what he did), and that this book is simply a record of his experience without attempting to suggest a particular dietary approach for anyone else.
That said, the whole reading is irreverent, hilarious, and entertaining.
As someone always interested in nutrition but with a personal bias towards eating all whole foods (not just plants), this book was a great way to challenge what I think I know about healthy eating.
What I appreciated most was Penn's transparency when discussing concepts that aren't supported by science (most of what he did), and that this book is simply a record of his experience without attempting to suggest a particular dietary approach for anyone else.
That said, the whole reading is irreverent, hilarious, and entertaining.